


hydrostatic equilibrium

by cherrytreebridge



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Crack Treated Seriously, M/M, Meet-Cute, based on a true story sighs, half a chatfic, is this a crackfic??? crack?? is that what ur smoking?, meeting ur boyfriend via zoom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:55:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26246740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrytreebridge/pseuds/cherrytreebridge
Summary: bokuto (today at 9:56 am):not my gay ass falling in love with the first boy i got into a breakout room with in my 160 lecture and then almost texting this exact message to the 160 discord instead of This discord
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 17
Kudos: 175





	hydrostatic equilibrium

**Author's Note:**

> i was tweeting abt this incredibly self indulgent "bokuto and akaashi studying eps and astro" in between stellar physics lectures and then remembered me tweeting abt this scenario happening to me and then connected the dots (you didn't connect shit) i connected them

Perhaps, Bokuto thinks, taking two astrophysics upper division classes at the same time is not a smart idea. 

But here he is, and he’ll manage, like he always does. 

To be fair, one of them is cross-listed as an actual Earth & Planetary Science class, but that doesn’t erase the fact that it’s called _Planetary Astrophysics_ and he is very nervous. 

Classes start on Wednesday but he only has a lab, so he spends the rest of the day reviewing his lower division physics notes and hoping it’s enough to pull him through. As for his Stellar Physics class - he’s going into it blind. He didn’t have time last semester to take the “recommended but not required” lower division Astronomy classes, as much as he wanted to. 

On Thursday morning he manages to drag himself out of bed at nine, enough time to make coffee and a muffin before sitting down at the kitchen table for Stellar Physics at nine thirty. It feels weird, living in a world where sitting in front of his laptop in his pajamas qualifies as _going to class,_ but considering he’s usually late without fail, it’s nice not having to run out the door and sprint up the hill. In fact, he’s logged into the Zoom call a full four minutes before class actually starts, which has to be some sort of personal record. 

People come in steadily, and the professor gives grace time for stragglers to trickle in a little late. The class is set up much better than he expected, with a full discord server for the whole class and a professor who, based on her announcements pre-lecture, seems to have solid grasp of Zoom (unfortunately, this seems to be a luxury among college students.)

“I don’t want to spend too much time on introductions,” she says, “But I thought it might be better if you could see your classmates face-to-face, yeah? I’ll be doing random breakout rooms with two or three people, and putting fun questions in the discord - make sure you’ve added yourself to that, by the way. Can someone put the link in the chat?”

Someone does, and someone else writes, _So it’s like we’re speed dating?_

The professor laughs. “I didn’t intend it that way, but I guess you’re right.”

Bokuto is suddenly thankful he showered last night, and his hair actually looks decent enough to turn on his camera. 

_The host is inviting you to Breakout Room 5._

There’s a moment for it to load, then the other person pops up, and-

Oh. 

“Hi!” Bokuto says, waving jovially, because he has forgotten how to say anything else. 

The other person - Akaashi Keiji, Bokuto reads off of his screen - waves back. “Hello.” He gives a small smile and his blue eyes crinkle a little when he does.

“Let’s see what the first question is,” Bokuto says, switching tabs (regretfully) to the one discord is open in. “‘ _What are you most excited for about this class’_. Pretty typical question, I’d say.”

Akaashi’s eyes dart to the side as he thinks. “I suppose I’m really interested about stellar formation. Where stars come from. Why they develop the way they do.”

Bokuto probably pauses for a moment too long, because Akaashi prompts, “And you?”

“Hm. I’m not quite sure? I think the life cycle of stars is really cool, but to be honest, I’m nervous for this class. I didn’t actually take the prereqs.”

The face on his screen furrows his brows. “They’re not technically required, but… what’s your major?”

“EPS. But I’m trying to do an Astro minor.”

“Really? I’m actually Astrophysics with an EPS minor.”

Bokuto can’t help it, he jumps up a little in his chair. “Literally opposites! That’s so cool!”

He laughs, and Akaashi chuckles a little with him. “Small world.”

There’s half a beat of silence, then Bokuto takes a leap and says, “Oh! By the way, uh, how do you pronounce your name?”

“It’s _Akaashi._ ”

“Ah! Akaashi.”

_Breakout rooms will close in 59 seconds. You will automatically be returned to the main room._

The automatic clock starts counting down, and Bokuto immediately feels that awkward “who hangs up first” energy of whether or not they should leave the room before the timer counts down. 

“I guess we’re being called back?” he tries. 

“Yeah.” 

“It was nice to meet you!” he adds quickly.

Akaashi looks at the camera. “You too.”

He’s back in the main room, and as people return he switches windows to discord again, hastily typing something out. Thank god he has the wherewithal to _look_ before he hits the enter key, because he realizes that he’s _still in the stellar physics discord and not his groupchat,_ and that could’ve gone very badly. 

> **bokuto** (today at 9:56 am): not my gay ass falling in love with the first boy i got into a breakout room with in my 160 lecture and then almost texting this exact message to the 160 discord instead of This discord
> 
> **hinata!** (today at 9:57 am): i dont know what half this message means but Yeah!
> 
> **kuroowo** (today at 9:57 am): oh my god what are you gonna do
> 
> **bokuto** (today at 9:58 am): i am going to do nothing are you kidding me
> 
> **hinata!** (today at 9:58 am): i’m serious about not knowing what a breakout room is

They have three more breakout rooms, with questions like _what is your favorite astronomy topic_ (main sequence stars), _what are you most worried about for this semester_ (paying attention in online classes) and _what’s the best class you’ve taken_ (introductory geography). 

For the last breakout room, he’s knocked off his feet when he sees that he’s been paired up with Akaashi Keiji _again._

“Hi again!”

“Hi.”

> **bokuto** (today at 10:13 am): WE GOT INTO A BREAKOUT ROOM AGAIN

He tries to look like he’s not texting his discord in a gay panic. “What’s the question?”

“ _What is your best study tip or trick,”_ Akaashi reads. 

“Oh. Ha. I don’t know if I have any,” confesses Bokuto, messing with his headphone cord. “I guess… I listen to music when I study, and then I try to listen to the same music every time.”

“That counts. Sometimes it’s just the simple things. I like to color code my notes.”

“Don’t you get tired of switching colors, though?”

“I’m not that specific about it,” Akaashi shrugs, “Mostly just the basic colors of the notebooks, things like that.”

“Huh. Maybe I should try it.” 

“Maybe I should try the music trick. What do you listen to?”

“Instrumentals, usually. Video game soundtracks ‘n stuff. Lyrics get too distracting.”

Akaashi opens his mouth to say something.

_Breakout rooms will close in 59 seconds. You will automatically be returned to the main room._

“...I was just about to ask when we’d be sent back.” 

“Oh,” says Bokuto, trying to sound only slightly disappointed.

The class is asynchronous and all the lectures are recorded in advance, so they’re dismissed when they return, allowed to watch at their own pace. 

_Akaashi Keiji has left the meeting._

Bokuto leaves too. 

> **bokuto** (today at 1:24 pm): guys im still thinking about it
> 
> **atsumu** (today at 1:24 pm): bro it’s not even simptember yet
> 
> **bokuto** (today at 1:25 pm): i cant help myself he was so pretty and he’s an astro major. i talked to him for like five minutes total and i am in love
> 
> **kuroowo** (today at 1:26 pm): do you want me to stalk this fool
> 
> **bokuto** (today at 1:26 pm): NO
> 
> **kuroowo** (today at 1:26 pm): u sure
> 
> **bokuto** (today at 1:26 pm): YES

Bokuto’s second class of the day was Planetary Astrophysics. The three mini-lectures for stellar hadn’t been too terrible, mostly just defining stellar structure and the life cycle of stars. It’s all new, but Bokuto thinks it’s a little cute, that stars have a _life._ They live, and they burn, and then they blow up in one last big hurrah before settling down to a quiet life at the bottom of a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. Bittersweet, that you can watch a star die, but in a way they live forever.

Bokuto looks at himself in the zoom camera preview and decides he is far too sappy for his own good. 

Everyone logs into class by about ten after. The class is a similar size to the last one, around fifty or so, and he even recognizes a few names from his other EPS classes. 

Something dings and he sees a notification by the chat. He assumes it’s not important, as the professor is already introducing himself, but clicks on it anyway. 

> **_Akaashi Keiji to Me (private):_** Hello again. 

Oh.

> **_Akaashi Keiji to Me (private):_** Looks like we’re in this class together too. 
> 
> **_Me to Akaashi Keiji (private):_** looks that way

Akaashi doesn’t reply to that for a handful of minutes.

> **bokuto** (today at 2:15 pm): HE’S IN MY 162 CLASS TOO!!!!!!

Bokuto sighs and takes another leap.

> **_Me to Akaashi Keiji (private):_** so since this is technically an eps class... if you ever need anything feel free to reach out!

There’s a beat of silence, and it feels like hours. He indulges himself to scroll through the members of the class until he sees Keiji’s video, and watches the moment he sees the message.

> **_Akaashi Keiji to Me (private):_** I could say the same thing for 160. Would you like to work on the homework together? The first one isn’t due for another week, but it doesn’t hurt to start now. 
> 
> **_Me to Akaashi Keiji (private):_** yeah!!! i’d love that!!

Too eager?

> **_Akaashi Keiji to Me (private)_** **:** Sounds good. You can text me if you want.

Not too eager. 

Akaashi just sent him his number over a Zoom chat. 

He turns off his camera so the whole class won’t see him grin like an idiot. 

> **bokuto** (today at 2:15 pm): you will never believe what just happened

**Author's Note:**

> my [twitter](https://twitter.com/petalbridges) if u scroll back u can watch me real time realize i was gonna write this


End file.
